U.S. Chamber of Commerce

The House of Representatives is scheduled to vote Tuesday on H.R. 2374, Rep. Ann Wagner’s (R-Mo.) “Retail Investor Protection Act," which has been decried by consumer protection advocates and financial planners alike for actually threatening to leave investors more vulnerable.

The New York Times reports today on New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman's launch of an investigation into contributions made to tax exempt groups that are heavily involved in political campaigns. The story notes that reform groups have pushed the FEC and the IRS for years to take action, to no avail.

CongressDeficit supercommittee members have close ties to many lobbyists"More than 100 former staffers of the bipartisan, bicameral supercommittee members have gone to work for entities that lobby Congress, according to data collected by the Center for Responsive Politics." And that's why we need disclosure and a break from fundraising.

Campaign Finance/Fair ElectionsFighting Citizens UnitedNew York City Public Advocate Bill de Blasio's group, the Coalition for Accountability in Political Spending, is staffing up with its hire of EMILY's Lister Kate Coyne-McCoy to be Executive Director. Coyne-McCoy: "Fighting for concrete changes in corporate policy and behavior in political spending is essential for improving and protecting our democracy. It is a fight CAPS will win."

A democracy of voters, not dollarsAdam Skaggs at the Brennan Center writes on the outcome of McComish, "Congress, the states, and municipalities around the country should adopt small donor matching programs without delay. They are the surest way to guarantee that voters, not dollars, are the heart of our democracy."